Quick acting switch



April 12, 1932. WADSWORTH I I 1,853,752

QUICK ACTING SWITCH Filed Feb. 7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l gwventoo vGeofje .B. 4/4 dcwarfb a 7 J W 515., I mm? April 12, 1932. G. B.WADSWORTH QUICK ACTING SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. '7, 1930gwugnto'a Geo/3e .8. Wadsworf/z Patented Apr. 12, 1932 UNHTED stares rm.'FFICE- GEORGE WAIDSWORTl-I, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THEWADSWORTH ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, .ACORPORATION OF KENTUCKY QUICK ACTING SWITCH Application filed February7, 1930. Serial No. 426,602.

This invention relates to a quick making and quick breaking switchconstruction and has for an object the provision of a compactinexpensive switch. I

Another object of this invention is to provide a switch of this typewherein the act-uating movement takes place wholly within the body linesof the small compact switch base thereby providing an ideal arrangementfor use infront operated. switch cabinets and in fact in allinstallations where space is limited or wherein it is desired to utilizeaminimum space for the switch.

Another object is to'provide a switch of this kind with a channeledsub-base having suitable connectors therein for making 'elec tricalcontact with line wires disposed in the channels. j

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein anddisclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a switch of the invention in an openposition.

' Fig. 2 is an elevational view taken from the opposite end of theswitch with the switch in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental side elevation. looking from the left of Fig; 1.

'Fig. 4; is a top plan view of the switch of the invention on areducedscale.

Fig. 5 isa top plan view of thesub-base with the switch body removed andshowing service wires in position. V i Fig. 6 is a cross sectional viewtaken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2. V

In the present embodiment an insulating sub-base 8 has ways or channels9 extending therethrough' from the top face thus providing a pluralityof parallel top faces Suitable connector plates 11 and 12 are secured inthe upstanding ridges between the channels'and have their top facesflush with or counter-sunk below the parallel faces 10. Suitablyinsulated service wires 13"are disposed in the channels 9 and'have theinsulation removed therefrom beneath the plates 11 so as to provideelectrical communication from the service wires to theconnector plate12.- These plates have threaded perforations 14 therein which serve atonce to mount the switch base 15 thereon and to'provide electricalconnection "with certain of the switch blades 16 through fasteningscrews 17. The

switch base 15 has an integral transverse rib e 18 which is interposedbetween the'switch blades 16 and which also isolatesthe com; panionswitch blade"19.' Theblades 19 extend through suitable slots in the base15 and along the under side thereof to points be base 15 and closelyadjacent the insulating rib 18. The rib 18 has a transverse slot23extending'therethrough adjacent the bottom of which is anchored aslotted upright 24.

This mounting may be simply accomplished by inserting a counter-sunkslotted plate 25 in the bottom of base 15 and turning over the ends of apair of lugs 26' formed on the bottom of the upright 24b The upright 24has a pair of oppositely extending arms 27 provided with lugs 28. Areciprocating member 29 extends through the slotin the upright 24 andhas its opposite ends turned down as at 30'. Insulating members 31 aresecured to the portions 30 and carry at their lower depending ends pairsof resilient copper plates 1580 32, the free ends offwhich form jawsforreceiving the switch blades 16 and 19. Aslotted clip 33 is also fixedto the member 29 and i has slots 34 on its opposite ends for slidablyreceiving the adj acentends of pivoted bars 35 which have their remoteends 36 provided with suitable perforations for receiving the lugs 28 onthe arms 27. The arms 240 in the upright 24 provided by the slot 37receive the member 29 between them and also-fa pro-- jecting end 38 ofthe clip33." Thus the member'29'and member 38 have a slidable mountinginthe slot 37 An operating member 39 has fiang'es 40 .cut 01f at 411 toprovide shoulders which contact the projecting portion of the'memb er38. The member 39 likewise'has a slot therein which receives the member29 and the member 38. This slot, whi'ch'is best shown'at 12 in Fig.2,permits limited free reciprocationof the operating member 39 I upon: themembers 29 and 38. Additional movement of the operating member 39however will cause the closed end 42 of the slotted member 39 to engagethe member 38 on the upward movement so that the clip 33 and member 29will be bodily lifted. This move ment is resisted by the compressionalforces of springs 44 as the clip 33 is raised (from the position shownin Fig. 2) and causes the ends of the pivot bars 35 to move into theclip 33 throughthe slots 34. This resistance continues and increasesuntil the clip 33' is moved above the horizontal plane of the lugs ,28whereupon the force of the springs is released for effecting a rapid anduncontrolled upward movement of the member 29 and'the switch jaws 32associated therewith. It is to vbe noted/chat the initial movement. ofthe jaws after the free movement of the operating member 39 has beentaken up does not remove the switch: jaws from contact with the blades,this movement occurring automatically and beyond the control of the openator. upon release of the compressional forces offthe springs.

Upon closing the switch the operating member 39 is depressed, the lostmotion being first taken up in the downward movement until theshoulders41 engage the top of member 38. Continued pressure then moves the clip33 downward and compresses the springs 44". This compression continuesand the switch jaws 32 begin to descend until the slots 34 in clip 33pass the horizontal. plane passing through the lugs 28. At this momentthe switch jaws 32 have not quite reached the companion switch blades 16and 19: A slight additional movement however releases thecompressionalforces of the spring and quickly thrusts the switch awmembers 32 downwardly over the blades 16 and 19. The jaws '32 are flaredoutwardly slightly at 45 so that the blades are received between themwith certainty. The downward force of this movement slightly separatesthe resilient jaws and insures perfect. electrical contact.

This quick make and quick break of electrical contact eliminates arcingupon opening and closing of the switch and the insulating rib- 18affords ample protection between the adjacent pairs of companion. blades16 and 19.. 7

As has-been shown the connection between the switch and the incomingservicewires are amply separated by portions of the insulating base.and. sub-base as are also the connections from the blades 19to the fusereceptacles. The load side. of the switch hassuitable connectorterminals 46 disposed on the boss 22 remote from the operating mechanismto which wires may be connected. for directing current which. is passedthrough the service fuses in. the f-usereceptacles to a. meter (notshown). A terminal plate 47 seated in a suitabierecess in-theboss 22 hasa number of terminal connecting screws 48 for receiving return wiresfrom the meter and from a plurality of branch fuse circuits andelectrically connects them with the return wire 49 which is disposed incentermost channel or way in the sub-base.

Thus the entire switch, operating mechanism therefor and the servicefuse receptacles are compactly but accessibly arranged on a very smallbase which may be mounted upon a cabinet wall such as 50.

For covered installations, the actuating member 39 may be permitted toproject through a small aperture in a switch box door, (not shown), inwhich case a baffle plate 51 fixed on suitable flanges on the upright24-, is employed. to preclude access to the switch parts when the box isclosed. The plate51 has a suitable aperture therein to permit movementof the actuating member 39 there through. A suitable finger hook 52facili tates operation of the switch and occupies a. minimum of space.

The operation of the switchhas been explained concurrently withthedescription of the structure. It will be noted that the member 39 hasa limited amount of lost motion or movement independent of themember 29and that the lower end of. the member 39 including the cross bar 42 isreceived in the hollow interior or slot 23 in the insulating rib 18.Thus when the switch is closed the end of the actuating member 39projects only a short distance above the baffle plate 51 or the top ofmember 29. Aswill. be readily appreciated the lost motion or partialindependent movement of the members 29 and 39 permits the automatic orspring actuated movement of the member 29 entirely free of controlby'the operator.

What is claimed is:

1. A quick make and quickbreak electrical switch comprisingan insulatingbase having two pairs of spaced aligned switch blades, an uprightextending from the base, a transverse member mounted for slidablemovement longitudinally of said upright, a pair of arms pivoted at theirouter ends to the upright and having their inner ends slidably receivedin the transverse member, a compression spring on each. of saidarmsyieldingly resisting movement of the arms for a pre-determineddistance whereby the springs are compressed and. an actuating memberhaving a limited free moving connection with the transverse member formoving-the transverse member and permitting the compressional force ofthe springs to move the jaws into and from electrical" contact with theswitch blades independently of the actuating member after predeterminedmovement of said actuating member.

2. In a device of the class described the combination of aninsulatingbase having a transverse integral. rib, an upright mounted in the riband extending upwardly therefrom, pairs of switch blades disposed onopposite sides of the rib, means slidable on the upright and having itsopposite ends over hanging the pairs of blades, a pair of switch jawselectrically insulated from and carried by said overhanging ends, meansfor effecting manual reciprocation of the slidable member and arrangedfor limited uncontrolled movement relative thereto and spring meansadapted for compression during the controlled manual movement of theslidable member and for subsequent uncontrolled spring impelled movementof the slidable member to effect electrical connection and disconnectionof the pairs of switch blades and the aws.

3. A quick acting switch comprising a pair of spaced blade members, afixed upright, a member slidable on the upright, a jaw member mounted onthe slidable member and electrically insulated therefrom, a pair of armshaving pivotal mounting on the upright and having their free endsreciprocably received in the slidable member, compression springssurrounding said arms and abutting the slidable member whereby tonormally retain the slidable member at one of its limits ofreciprocation on the fixed upright and means having limited uncontrolledrelative longitudinal movement with the slidable member and operable tomovethe slidable member for compressing the springs whereby the ends ofthe arms are moved relative to their pivotal mountings for compressingthe springs, continued movement of the arms by said member releasing theslidable member to the compressional forces of the springs whereby thejaws on the member are projected into and from electrical connectionwith the blades.

4. In a device of the class described the combination of an insulatingbase having an integral recessed rib extending therefrom, a slottedupright fixedly mounted in said recess, a transverse member slidable inthe slot in the upright, a clip fixed on the slidable member and havinga portion slidable as a guide in the slot of the upright, arms extendingoutwardly from the upright and having pivots thereon, pivotally mountedarms on said pivots and having their free ends slidably received in theclip, compression springs surrounding the pivotally mounted arms andabutting the clip and yieldingly resisting movement of the clip past thearms on the upright and a slotted actuating member slidable on theupright for efiecting movement of the slidable member, the slot in saidactuating member providing for limited independent movement of theactuating member and slidable member, a pair of spaced switch bladesfixedly mounted on the base and a jaw member for effecting electricalconnection between said blades mountreceived in the transverse member, acompression spring on each of said arms yieldingly resisting movement ofthe arms for a predetermined distance whereby the springs are compressedand an actuating member having a limited free moving connection with thetransverse member in the direction of movement of the transverse memberfor moving the transverse member and permitting the compressional forceof the springs to move the jaws into and from electrical contact withthe switch blades independently of the actuating member afterpredetermined movement of said actuating member.

Signed January 13, 1980.

GEORGE B. WADSWORTH.

